Xbox Live's Free Games For January Announced

The new year apparently won't bring any changes to the Games with Gold program. The January 2015 slate for the promotion (via Major Nelson) includes two free games for Xbox 360 and one free game for Xbox One like usual.

The free game on Xbox One for January 2015 is Dark Dreams Don't Die, also known as D4. This Xbox One exclusive adventure game puts players into the shoes of private investigator David Young. After his wife's murder, he finds himself able to travel through time. He'll use this new-found power to prevent his wife from being killed.

D4's story is spread over three episodes. Developer Access Games may release additional "seasons" in the future depending on the reception of this initial run.

Xbox 360 owners, meanwhile, can download motocross racing game MX vs. ATV Alive from January 1st to January 15th. Players can ride officially licensed bikes on tracks that evolve with each lap. The online races support up to 12 competitors.

The highlight of the January 2015 Games with Gold, though, is The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. This action RPG is free on Xbox 360 from January 16th through the 31st. Players control Geralt of Rivia, a monster-hunter accused of murdering a king. His quest to find the real killer features multiple paths and endings determined by the player's choices.

The Xbox 360 version of Witcher 2 is known as the "Enhanced Edition." It features four hours of extra gameplay, new cinematics and various bug fixes that weren't present in the initial PC release.

If you own an Xbox One and Xbox 360, you're getting $65 worth of free games in January. That number assumes that you actually want all of those games, however.

You'll need an Xbox Live Gold membership to get these freebies. Like other free Xbox One games from the past, D4 is only playable if you keep your Gold membership active. Games with Gold on Xbox 360 can be played even if you've let your subscription expire, though.